Corners of home ...

I love handmade things that's no secret. Thanks to a crafty grandmother who made things, made do and mended when I lived with her as a child, I've got the bug now. Both my mother and my grandmother op-shopped, thrifted, and frequented fleamarkets. Back then, a fleamarket actually meant tables of secondhand personal belongings.

In Auckland, this was the Otara fleamarket. We would get $5 which would buy us a big piece of pineapple pie and a bag of Cook Island donuts for breakfast as well as a big old paper kleensak full of clothes and knic knacs. I was the only kid at school wearing a leopard fur coat, red suede winkle picker boots, net stockings and mini skirts. I had a plethora of bracelets and rings on both hands. I've not changed and having a small child is the best excuse this mama has to indulge in such passions (although the stockings and mini skirts no longer appear in my wardrobe).

The two knitted toys in different colours were thrifted gifts from Aunty Cleo for Xmas. The green knitted toy is from Wellington hospital when my son was admitted for meningitis. There were a whole lot of donated new toys but we (ahem, me) picked this one. Knuckles wasn't even born then. The pink toy with blue face is made of recycled fabrics with a knitted face and machine embroidered details also made by Aunty Cleo.

The quilt you can glimpse is a thrifted Xmas gift from my mother from an opportunity store for $5 in Brisbane. It has the softest flannel backing and is our baby's favourite blanket. The little sun is a thrifted musical mobile, just $1 that I bought from the Sallies when I was pregnant. I usually have a thrifted embroidered or quilted pillowcase but he's snuck his brothers pillow in here. The new cot was a gift from his Nan, our last child has also been the most resourced and well equipped.

This giant felted stitched butterfly hangs above his bed picked up at a local secondhand Plunket sale for $5. The old print of this Picasso was $2 from Trash Palace, our city recycling centre by the rubbish dump.

Not a great picture but this handknitted bunting was gifted to Knuckles and I from our knitting whizz friend Betty-Ann.

Embellished with embroidery and vintage buttons this two metre long wonder also made an appearance on our craft stall last year at Pataka art gallery.

My mother is an accomplished painter. She started this painting when I was in labour with my first son almost 15 years ago.

Niwa is short for "Aniwaniwa" which is the Maori word for rainbow. I named my second son Niwa because I really love the story of Noah's Ark and the promise God made with man to never wipe the earth out again. There are also motifs in the rainbow that are from my husband's Pacific cultures and my own Maori culture.

Some wee hand stitched creatures made by the boys from old woollen blankets, a small creature made by our small friend Phoenix, a felted tiny monkey I made sitting in a little thrifted egg cup. These critters live in the kitchen ...

... On this shelf with a bunch of other curios including:

a felted and dyed stone created with friend India Flint;

a old green glass dish full of sea glass from walks along the beach with the kids;

a clay head made by friend Cleo at art school;

a chinese plastic Koi fish from Asia Gallery;

a small Asian teapot and jug thrifted for $5 from the Sallies;

a wooden and brass crucifix from my mum;

a kitsch Hawaiian tiki jug;

a wooden puzzle made by our retired neighbour Keith who does all sorts of

magic with wood;

an old wooden saw I found in a thrift store for $2.

an old glass measuring jug & a duck egg blue thrifted ceramic cup full of souvenior teaspoons and other odd utensils found thrifting;

some small vintage Doulton china (a child's tea set);

and, a set of weird nesting cat dolls found at Trash Palace also for $2.